Dustin Johnson roars home with a 66 and a three-shot lead

Tiger Woods shot a thrilling 66, and he finishes his round at 1 under for the tournament. Dustin Johnson was outstanding, closing with a birdie on 18 for a round of 66, 6 under on for the tournament. Sunday should be fun. (Get all your U.S. Open scores by clicking here. Or here.)

11:12 p.m. ET: Dustin Johnson, and we will use the moniker again, is the Big Kahuna of Pebble Beach. He closed out a remarkable 66 -- equaling Tiger Woods -- with a birdie on 18 and ends 54 holes at 6 under par, three shots clear of second-place Graeme McDowell. McDowell finished his even-par round of 71 with a par at 18, and McDowell and Johnson will play in the final group again on Sunday.

11:05 p.m. ET: So Gregory Havret of France will play with Tiger Woods in the final round. Hmmm.

Phil Mickelson told NBC he made some "ridiculous" up-and-downs during his round. You said it Phil.

10:58 p.m. ET: Dustin Johnson birdies No. 17 to move to 5 under, and Graeme McDowell bogeys to slip to 3 under. All of a sudden, the Big Kahuna of Pebble Beach has a two-shot lead.

10:56 p.m. ET: So Phil Mickelson finishes an erratic ... Phil Mickelson ... round with a crazy par at 18, and he is 1 over for the tournament. Not out of it, but he has work to do.

10:42 p.m. ET: So, Dustin Johnson makes par at 16, and Graeme McDowell makes bogey to drop to 4 under, in a tie with Johnson. It's only McDowell's second bogey on the day.

10: 40 p.m. ET: It is SO HARD to play a U.S. Open round without some mistakes along the way ... not that WE have played a U.S. Open round ourselves, of course, but we have watched many, many ... and Graeme McDowell is in a spot of trouble on 16.

Phil Mickelson escapes trouble on 17 with a specatacular rescue from near the grandstand on 17 and makes par. He's at 1 over with the par-5 18th to play.

10:35 p.m. ET: The PGA Tour points this out ...

Of Phil Mickelson's 38 PGA TOUR victories, 16 have been comeback wins. His most recent wins were both in come-from-behind fashion, trailing by one to Lee Westwood at the 2010 Masters before a final-round 67 led to a three-stroke victory over Westwood and trailing by four to Kenny Perry at the 2009 TOUR Championship before a 65 led to a three-stroke win over Tiger Woods.

Mickelson definitely will need a comeback. He's in trouble again, this time at 17.

10:33 p.m. ET: Back-to-back birdies for Ernie Els, and he is tied for third with Tiger Woods at 1 under.

These guys are good ... well, they are looking pretty solid anyway, and unless the wheels come off for one or the other, they will play together in the final group on Sunday.

10:25 p.m. ET: And Phil Mickelson FINALLY gets another birdie, at 16, to move to 1 over. He's 2 over on an erratic day. Not the same guy who delivered a briliiant 66 on Friday.

10:16 p.m. ET: Of course, after we praise Graeme McDowell's poise (see below), he pulls his drive on 15 into the gallery. ... But he should have a decent lie.

Gregory Havret of France finishes his round of 69 to leave him at even par for the tournament.

10:15 p.m. ET: Maybe Graeme McDowell doesn't understand the position he's in ... 5 under and a one-shot lead with 4 to play in the third round of the U.S. Open, afer a solid par at the destructive 14th hole ... or maybe he is an accomplished pro who knows how to win and is ready to win a big one.

Dustin Johnson is in safely at 14 as well ... at 4 under, one-shot back.

Ernie Els birdies 15 to get to even par.

10:07 p.m. ET: Here are some stats from the PGA Tour ... obviously boosting a Tiger charge on Sunday.

Prior to Saturday, Tiger Woods had never had more than six sub-par scores in a round in a U.S. Open:

Year Round Birdies Eagles Score

2010 3 8 0 66

2005 4 6 0 69

2003 2 6 0 66

2000 1 6 0 65

2000 2 6 0 69

1997 2 6 0 67

2008 2 5 1 68

Largest final-round comebacks at the U.S. Open:

7 strokes Arnold Palmer 1960 Cherry Hills

6 strokes Johnny Miller 1973 Oakmont

5 strokes Johnny Farrell 1928 Olympia Fields

5 strokes Byron Nelson 1939 Philadelphia CC

5 strokes Lee Janzen 1998 Olympic Club

9:57 p.m. ET: Graeme McDowell smoothly makes par on 13, and Dustin Johnson messes up a chip, leaves himself a tough, downhill putt for par ... and he misses. McDowell alone in front at 5 under; Johnson one back.

9:43 p.m. ET: THAT was a great save by Graeme McDowell on No. 12 ... that's the kind of save that wins golf tournaments. Major golf tournaments. Dustin Johnson saves his par, too ... they stay at 5 under. Nice little battle between these two.

9:30 p.m. ET: Another bogey for Phil Mickelson ... at 12 .. and he is back to 2 over. Is the dream dying again? The bright side is, unless he rights the ship or throws in a Sunday 66, he won't have to finish second again ... for the SIXTH time.

9:15 p.m. ET: And, of course, good news for NBC, since Tiger Woods most likely will be in one of the last groups off tomorrow afternoon ...

9:13 p.m. ET: And now a birdie for Phil Mickelson at 11. He's back to 1 over.

Not sure how the course can get easier as the day wears on ... the wind is "freshening" ... that means it's blowing harder.

8:59 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods taps in for birdie on the par-5 18th ... he shots 31 on the back and 66 for the day. He's 1 under after beginning the day 4 over. The leaders have the back nine to play. Graeme McDowell is back in the lead at 5 under, but Dustin Johnson bogeys No. 9 to drop to 4 under.

Phil Mickelson saves par on No. 10 but he's still 2 over.

8:55 p.m. ET: GUTSY play by Tiger. Wow. He just cut it around the tree in the middle of the fairway on the par-5 18th, from about 260 out, and he has an eagle putt to close out his round. Hellloooo, Tiger!

8:45 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson made a mess of No. 9, a double-bogey 6, and he is at 2 over for the tournament.

Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell both make par at No. 8, Step 1 on the three-hole stretch known as the Cliffs of Doom, to stay at 5 under and 4 under respectively. Ernie Els is alone in third at 1 under.

8:38 p.m. ET: And Tiger Woods heads to the par-5 18th at even par after another birdie, his seventh of the day, on the par-3 17th. He's 4 under on the day.

8:24 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods with a big fist pump, and a birdie, at No. 16 to get to 3 under on the day, 1 over for the tournament ... and five back. And Sunday to play. Can you hear the footsteps Dustin Johnons?

8:20 p.m. ET: The Big Kahuna of Pebble Beach, Dustin Johnson, knocks it to within a couple of feet at the 99-yard par-3 seventh -- but playing over par -- to get to 5 under and grab the lead. Graeme McDowell makes a great par save after missing the green on 7 to stay at 4 under.

Tiger and Phil are on the course ... but Dustin Johnson is the man to watch.

Vive le France. Gregory Havret is at even par.

8:12 p.m. ET: Graeme McDowell makes a par at the easiest hole on the course, the par-5 sixth. Dustin Johnson makes birdie to get to 4 under, and they are tied at the top of the leaderboard.

7:44 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods birdies No. 14 to get to 2 over. Dustin Johnson eagles the par-4 fourth ... Wow! ... and he is at 3 under, one behind Graeme McDowell. Johnson, who has won the last two AT&T pro-ams at this course, is threatening to become the Big Kauna of Pebble Beach.

7:36 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson finally gets one, a birdie on No. 5 to get to even par. Graeme McDowell makes bogey on No. 3, to drop to 4 under.

7:32 p.m. ET: From USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio at Pebble Beach ...

The leaders are making their way to the 99-yard 7th hole. Yes, the shortest hole in U.S. Open history. Earlier today, Padraig Harrington almost hit a seagull with his tee shot. Vijay Singh hit a 3/4 64-degree sand wedge -- and he was long. After he saw it land, he said he has no idea what to hit to the hole.

Wind is picking up. And it's a gusty wind. Goes from slightly calm to breezy to hurricane in some places. Greens are becoming EXTREMELY firm and fast.

Here's something I thought I'd never see -- Tiger Woods does not -- I repeat, DOES NOT -- have the largest inside-the-ropes crowd following him. Ryo Ishikawa DOES. It's really not close today. At least 75 members of the media following Ryo.

7:01 p.m. ET: Well, now. Can I get some money down on Graeme McDowell? His approach from behind a tree in the rough on No. 1 was a thing of beauty. He makes the putt for birdie to get to 4 under. Dustin Johnson makes par on 1.

Phil Mickelson, by the way, opens bogey-bogey and is now 1 over.

6:52 p.m. ET: At last (on the East Coast), leader Grame McDowell is on the course. Johnny Miller likes Dustin Johnson to win this thing. Not a bad pick ... Johnson is a two-time champ at Pebble Beach, as we know.

Ryo Ishikawa is on the tee at No. 1. And predictably, NBC and the announcer at the tee pronouced the name of the 18-year-old Japanese phenom RIO. We asked Japanese media earlier how to pronounce Ishikawa's name, and we were told, YO. Read Helen Ross of the PGA Tour's take on the kid's name.

By any name, or pronunciation, Ishikawa can play. Who knows how many of these he'll win by the time he's done.

6:36 p.m. ET: Bogey again for Tiger Woods at No. 8. Back to 4 over. It doesn't look Tiger is ready to win. This is not your 2000 Tiger Woods.

Mickelson one-putted the first eight greens on Friday. He'd like to do that again today, particularly since he has a long, long birdie putt on No. 1 after wasting a huge drive with a mediocre approach.

He came up way short on his first putt, and he's still away.

6:30 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson (1 under), playing with Alex Cejka (even par), is on his way. He was scintillating on the front nine Friday, with five birdies ... and a bogey at No. 9. The front has given up some birdies again today. Phil -- wearing blue shirt, white pants, tan belt and tan shoes -- is in the fairway at 1.

6:22 p.m. ET: So the birdie run ends at three for Tiger Woods when he makes par at No. 7, playing at 99 yards in the third round. He stays 3 over.

Martin Kaymer of Germany is making a move early. He's 2 under through 3, 1 over for the tournament.

6:09 p.m. ET: The eagle putt for Tiger Woods slips past, but he drops in his third consecutive birdie and he's now at 3 over. Vijay Singh also makes birdie to go to 4 over.

6:03 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods is 15 feet away for eagle on the par-5 sixth. A third consecutive birdie is nearly a gimme. But an eagle would be huge.

5:45 p.m. ET: Well, now. Back-to-back birdies on 4 and 5 after back-to-back bogeys on 2 and 3, and Tiger Woods is back to even on the day and 4 over on the tournament. Tiger hit a dandy shot to within about 6 feet on the par-3 fifth.

The par-5 sixth is next. Still an hour away from leader Graeme McDowell's tee time.

5:35 p.m. ET: A birdie from Tiger Woods, his fourth of the tournament, after driving it to the fringe just off the green on the 284-yard par-4 fourth. He's back to 5 over. Could this be a turnaround? Still a long way to go.

Woods' birdie putt was a difficult, downhill 3-footer. The kind of putt that "made me an announcer," Johnny Miller said.

Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson makes the turn at 3 under on the day, 2 over on the tournament, after opening with a 77.

And Justin Leonard, who has never had a top-10 finish in 15 previous US Opens, starts birdie-birdie to move to 1 over.

5:18 p.m. ET: So, another short-game mistake for Tiger Woods, who chipped it over the green on No. 3. His flop shot from behind the green nearly hit the pin, but it ran by about 10 feet. He missed the par putt and now has made back-to-back bogeys. 6 over par for the tournament. Ouch.

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand made the first hole-in-one of this year's U.S. Open, acing the 195-yard par-3 fifth during early play in Saturday's third round. Jaidee is the all-time wins leader (12) and earnings leader on the Asian Tour. He finished 3 over on the day and is 10 over for the tournament.

5:05 p.m. ET: So, after a poor approach and poor chip, Tiger Woods has bogeyed No. 2 for the second day in a row, and now he is at 5 over.

Fay noted that two players used the word awful after the first round Thursday - Phil Mickelson to describe his putting, and Woods to lay the blame on the greens.

4:54 p.m. ET: Some notes from early play Saturday ...

Davis Love III carded a 5-under 30 on the front nine Saturday, just one stroke shy of the U.S. Open nine-hole record of 29, set by:

Neal Lancaster – fourth round, second nine, Shinnecock Hills GC, 1995

Neal Lancaster – second round, second nine, Oakland Hills CC, 1996

Vijay Singh – second round, second nine, Olympia Fields CC, 2003

Currently Love is 3 under on the day, 4 under for the tournament.

The par-3 seventh hole is playing at 99 yards during the third round, making it the shortest hole in U.S. Open history (post World War II). It was the previous shortest hole as well, playing at 106 yards in 2000.

4:50 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods missed his birdie putt short ... albeit it was a long putt ... and he stays at 4 over. Vijay Singh makes par, too.

4:43 p.m. ET: Nice applause for Tiger Woods as he tees off on No. 1. With a 3-iron. And he's in the fairway. But he's seven shots back. Tiger is playing with Vijay Singh.

The marine layer has burned off and the sun is supposed to shine the rest of the day at Pebble Beach. But that means the winds are going to pick up -- perhaps up to 30-35 mph around 5-7 p.m. PT.

As Tiger Woods gets set to tee off at 4:40 p.m. ET, he's seven shots out of the lead set by Graeme McDowell.

Phil Mickelson's tee time is still two hours away.

The course remains anything but a pushover even though Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker and Tom Watson have shown birdies can be had. Love III made the turn in 5-under 30 to move within five shots of the lead. Watson, the 1982 U.S. Open champion here at Pebble, Snedeker and Henrik Stenson are each 3-under for the day. Most of the good scores are being posted on the first seven holes, of which include the 290-yard driveable par-4 fourth hole and the 99-yard par-3 seventh hole (the shortest hole in championship history).

Round 3 of the U.S. Open is now underway at beautiful, devilish Pebble Beach Golf Links. Ty Tryon leads off the proceedings at noon ET. (Click here for today's tee times.) If Tryon's name sounds familiar, it's because he was one of those can't-miss prospects 10 years ago at age 16 who, well, missed. But here he is in his first U.S. Open and he made the cut, albeit in the group at 7 over, 10 shots back.

You can get all your U.S. Open scores by clicking here. Or here. The NBC broadcast begins at 4:30 p.m. ET ... and runs to 11. Have some popcorn, a pizza, maybe a cold one or two handy. Moving day should be interesting.

It will be a while yet before the leaders tee off. Tiger Woods, tied for 25th at 4 over, tees off at 4:40 p.m ET. Phil Mickelson, tied for second at 1 under, tees off at 6:30 ET. Leader Graeme McDowell begins his round at 6:50.

In the meantime, click here to get a recap of Friday's Round 2. And to get you ready for what you might see today ... namely trouble shots ... check out this story and video.

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About Reid and Mike

Reid Cherner has been with USA TODAY since 1982 and written Game On! since March 2008.

He has covered everything from high schools to horse racing to the college and the pros. The only thing he likes more than his own voice is the sound of readers telling him when he's right and wrong.

Michael Hiestand has covered sports media and marketing for USA TODAY, tackling the sports biz ranging from what's behind mega-events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl to the sometimes-hidden numbers behind the sports world's bottom line.